Player utilities

Marco Werman: I&#39;m Marco Werman, this is The World. The cease fire in Syria is reportedly holding, but just barely. Both sides in the conflict said there was fresh violence today. The Syrian Government said, a terrorist had shot and killed an army officer, while Opposition activist said, Government forces had opened fire on protestors, killing four. Opposition activist Mousab al-Hamadee says, he was part of a demonstration today in Hama, one of the centers of the uprising in Syria.

Mousab al-Hamadee: As we were about to enter the square, military check points opened fire on us. Two of my colleagues were killed. Their names are Muhammad Nathan and the other martyr is Ahmed Abu Rayun and twenty five of my colleagues were wounded. We tried to go to other districts in Hama, but Intelligence forces followed us and used sound bombs and tear gas to make people go home.

Werman: And in Hama, what happened when the shooting started? Did people panic and run, what was the scene like?

al-Hamadee: We are used to shooting. When shooting happened, we tried to stay in our places for some time. But when we found that our friends are falling on the ground in front of our eyes, we withdrew to other places and we were successful in making big demonstrations because the number of killings this Friday is less than killings in other Fridays.

Werman: So, many would say that this would indicate that the ceasefire is not holding. But, on the other hand you just said, this is less violence than other Fridays. How do you see it?

al-Hamadee: Ceasefire isn&#39;t working at all, but the rate of killing is decreasing. For example, instead of 100 martyrs, we have 20 martyrs or 30 martyrs. That is the truth of Mr. Kofi Annan, nothing more than that.

Werman: Now, the next step of the Kofi Annan peace plan is to get couple of hundred United Nations observers into Syria, do you have confidence in what those observers will be able to report on?

al-Hamadee: We don&#39;t want monitors to come and watch us while we are dying. We had very bad experience before with Arab monitors and when they came, killing increased in Syria.

Werman: Do you really think international community is going to step in to bring guns to the Opposition in Syria?

al-Hamadee: Frankly speaking, we feel a little bit frustrated because of what the international community is doing. So, we ask all people, we ask Europe, we ask America, we ask our neighbor Turkey and we ask our Arab brothers to help us and to stop killing the Syrian people.

Werman: Mousab, given the violence you&#39;ve seen today in Hama, will you go out and demonstrate tomorrow?

al-Hamadee: Sure, yes. This is our task and this is our revolution. We will not make half-revolution. We will keep on demonstrating, even if Bashar al-Assad kills half the Syrian people. We will keep on demonstrating till we topple this dictator regime down.

Werman: Mousab, do you have a family? Would you encourage them to go out and demonstrate too?

al-Hamadee: Actually my wife today was with me in the demonstration in Hama. Every Syrian feel determined. We deserve democracy, we like all people of the Earth.

Werman: Are you concerned that this could evolve into a sectarian civil war in Syria?

al-Hamadee: In Syria, we have got co-existence. This co-existence between different ethnic groups is hundreds of years old. Sunnis, Alawite, Druze, the Christians, we all are the same family. So, the civil war is propaganda by the regime. Bashar Assad says, either he or the flood.

Werman: Do you accept though that those minorities do in fact fear what might come next with the new regime, if there is a new regime after Assad?

al-Hamadee: Nothing will happen. They will leave in better situation. The ruling elite now are from Alawite minority and our brothers Alawite are the most miserable part of the Syrian population. They are most miserable in the mountain. The regime is only using them in order to make domestic war and civil war in Syria. So, they are damaged by this regime more than us. So, I think their situation will get better. The same applies to our Christian brothers in Syria. Every person will have a chance to take role in building new Syria.

Werman: Mousab al-Hamadee, thank you very much for speaking with us.

al-Hamadee: You are most welcome.

Werman: Opposition activist, Mousab al-Hamadee, speaking with us from Hama, Syria. For more of our ongoing coverage of Syria and the latest from our partners at the BBC, go to theworld.org.